Washington Redskins -- The Supreme Challenge

9/15/2009 11:30 AM PDT

Washington Redskins -- The Supreme Challenge

The war over the Washington Redskins -- the most offensive team name in professional sports -- might finally go to the U.S. Supreme Court.

A group of American Indians is asking the highest court in the land to cancel the trademarks on the Redskins team name and logos -- due to the fact that they're extremely defamatory toward Native Americans.

The American Indian group has been fighting this battle since 1992. They won a ruling in 1999 ... but the decision was defeated soon after by judges who decided they waited too long to bring their case to the courts.

The Redskins -- worth a reported $1.5 billion -- have been using the name since 1933.

Now, the Native American group wants SCOTUS to review the lower court decision -- and finally force Washington to understand why naming an NFL team after the color of someone's skin could be offensive.